Albert Salamonsky
German circus proprietor (1839-1913)
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Albert Salamonsky (June 18, 1839 – June 22, 1913) was a German equestrian performer, horse trainer, acrobat, and circus proprietor.
June 18, 1839
- Circus proprietor
Albert Salamonsky | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Albert Wilhelmovich Salamonsky June 18, 1839 |
| Died | June 22, 1913 (aged 74) |
Resting place | Vvedenskoye Cemetery |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard |
| Spouse | Lina Schwartz |
Early life
Albert Wilhelmovich Salamonsky was born on June 18, 1839.[1]
Albert was the son of circus rider Wilhelm Salamonsky.[1] His father, a member of an old Jewish circus family, established himself in Berlin and worked as an associate of the renowned circus director Ernst Renz of Circus Renz.[2] Albert trained under his father and gained renown as a bareback rider.[1]
Career
Albert Salamonsky began his career as an equestrian performer and gymnast.[3] An advertisement for London's Holborn Theatre on November 6, 1868, commended Salamonsky's three-horse act titled "Le Jeux Romains" (French: The Roman Games).[4]
Salamonsky married the accomplished equestrian Lina Schwartz in 1868.[5]
He soon set up his own circus, the Circus Salamonsky, in Warsaw, Poland, at Włodzimierzowska Street (now Czackiego Street).[6] After founding his circus in 1873, Salamonsky and Oscar Carré held two of the largest circuses in Europe and became the principal competitors to Ernst Renz.[7] In November 1873, he acquired sizable buildings at Neuer Markt in Berlin for £75,000 and renovated them into a multi-purpose circus complex with dining and refreshment amenities.[8] There, he established Salamonsky's Grand Circus and amphitheatre.
By 1875, his circus traveled via a special train comprising at least fifty carriages when moving between towns, with Berlin serving as his winter quarters.[9] Salamonsky left for Saint Petersburg with his circus establishment in 1879.[7] In Saint Petersburg, Salamonsky vied with the Italian impresario Gaetano Ciniselli for control of the circus industry.[10]
His tour of Odesa, the Russian Empire's fourth-largest city at the time, inspired Salamonsky to settle there and build a stationary circus venue. He opened Odesa's first circus in 1879, located at 37 Koblevskaya Street.[11]
On October 20, 1880, Salamonsky opened Moscow's first circus, the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.[12] At the premiere performance, he himself took part as a performer.[13]
His next venture following his establishments in Moscow and Odessa was a circus venue in Riga, Latvia.[14] Salamonsky commissioned the circus building, which opened in 1888 in the city center adjacent to Vērmane Garden, featuring a large dome structure.[15]
Death
Albert Salamonsky died on June 22, 1913, in Moscow, Russia, at age 74. He was interred at Vvedenskoye Cemetery.